Can we use OBC to pay gratitues?

[Aldeya]

My apologies in advance if it was discussed before. I did search but for the life of me I can't find the thread on this topic.

 

We are going on Explorer in a week so I'd like to know the answer.

As shareholders we received $200 OBC. I'd like to use this to pay the tips. I don't want to go pre-paid rouite, I prefer to pay tips in cash.

 

So is there a way to cash the OBC? I'd think in a casino but would it be considered as a cash advance with an approprite extra fee?

 

TIA for any suggestions.

[Gator0178]

You are correct. Take it out from the casino. Don't tell them what you are doing. They will assume that you are going to gamble with it. They will charge your seepass card for the $ you took out.

[yogimax]

We have actually done this on the penultimate day of our cruise. The purser has given us the money for our shareholder credit and we have used it for our tips.

[songster2]

My apologies in advance if it was discussed before. I did search but for the life of me I can't find the thread on this topic.

 

We are going on Explorer in a week so I'd like to know the answer.

As shareholders we received $200 OBC. I'd like to use this to pay the tips. I don't want to go pre-paid rouite, I prefer to pay tips in cash.

 

So is there a way to cash the OBC? I'd think in a casino but would it be considered as a cash advance with an approprite extra fee?

 

TIA for any suggestions.

 

I used my share holders OBC for tips, and we got cash from the casino for on-shore spending. I applied the tips to my SeaPass, but I didn't have to. Enjoy your cruise :)

[hawt1]

No need to take the cash out of yoru account as far as I know. Just apply the tips to yoru Sea Pass and they will net out against your OBC.

[dutchess43]

We add our tips to the sea pass & let them deduct the OBC from our account. If we want to give additional tips then we give them in cash.

[candydane]

Does anyone know if any unused OBC is refundable? Or do I have to "use it or lose it"?

[Majesty Fan]

Yes you can do this. I had $550 of OBC for our cruise on Radiance to Hawaii in Sept and I used it for Grat. but you can only give the suggested amt you can not add to that. So we just used an extra $100 for the rest.

Lexi

[Bell Ringer]

Does anyone know if any unused OBC is refundable? Or do I have to "use it or lose it"?

On the last full day, check your balance. If you have any left, just ask for the balance in cash. We did that pretty late in the evening. The next morning, the only bill listed was for one drink....so it went on the credit card and we had cash to take home ( and pay the porters)

Have a great trip.

[suezyq50]

We have used our OBC for tips. We filled out the vouchers, which is set at the suggested tip amount. We than added cash.

[TravelerThom]

Does anyone know if any unused OBC is refundable? Or do I have to "use it or lose it"?

I once got an OBC refund to my Credit Card on X, and have been told that is also the policy on RCI. If you want to error on the safe side, just take cash out of the Casino or the Purser.

[FitzLA]

And no, there is no cash advance fee if you take cash out at the casino. It just goes as a charge on your sea pass, and then at the end of the cruise, that amount, minus your OBC, will be charged to your credit card.

[3seass]

Help I am confused here our TA is pre paying our grutuities ( which I know is suggested) we figured we would tip more in cash on top of that becasue we never give the suggested we always give more to cabin steward and wait staff. Is that a problem should I try to get it all in cash to give them or that OK? Does anyone know the suggested amount and who it includes? If I go with prepaid will they know it is from us even if we give more cash?

[Aldeya]

Just want to say thank you for all your responses. :D

 

This board is THE best on the net:D

[TravelerThom]

Help I am confused here our TA is pre paying our grutuities ( which I know is suggested) we figured we would tip more in cash on top of that becasue we never give the suggested we always give more to cabin steward and wait staff. Is that a problem should I try to get it all in cash to give them or that OK? Does anyone know the suggested amount and who it includes? If I go with prepaid will they know it is from us even if we give more cash?

From http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/newtocruising/alreadyBookedCruise.do;jsessionid=0000OfllHMIfkrm8UXD53jrvXbr:12hdhu6tq "So that you can thank those who have made your cruise vacation better than you could have imagined, we've developed these gratuity guidelines:

Suite attendant:$5.75 USD a day per guest

Stateroom attendant:$3.50 USD a day per guest

Note that you have one or the other, not both of the above

Dining Room Waiter:$3.50 USD a day per guest

Assistant Waiter:$2.00 USD a day per guest

Headwaiter:$.75 USD a day per guest"

I always do on-board auto tipping for base amount [as indicated above]. Whether pre-paid or on-board auto the personnel will be notified that you have tipped them, and you should receive voucher slips and envelopes in your cabin which you can hand directly to the personnel [note that they will receive the tips even if they do not get the vouchers from you; this merely gives you something to hand them as you thank them]. I always add my supplements for "above and beyond" as cash in the envelope along with the voucher. There are some differences in how vouchers and cash are treated - vouchers for on board auto-tipping are credited to the employees bank account a week or so after the cruise ends [i think this is so the charge has cleared; note that emplyees have told me that they do receive the full amount, no service charge deducted], I assume that pre-paid are immediately deposited. Generally the employee has set it up so that their family at home can directly access this bank account, and therefore they do not have to wire money home. Cash goes into the employee's pocket - this gives them immediate spending cash for incidentals, but is somewhat harder for them to send home.